


The Earth Birthday Cupcake

by wizardofahz



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-06-26 02:28:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15653883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wizardofahz/pseuds/wizardofahz
Summary: Kara is aware that this Earth tradition of making wishes and blowing out candles is born of superstition, not fact, but when the time comes, she doesn’t take any chances.There’s only one candle on the cake, but she blows hard.Jeremiah yanks Alex away just in time as the cake simultaneously freezes and shatters apart.





	The Earth Birthday Cupcake

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iamdeltas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamdeltas/gifts).



> iamdeltas prompted Kara’s first Earth birthday, but it turned into the evolution of the Earth birthday cupcake tradition. I hope that’s close enough.

 

_ Kara’s First Earth Birthday (2005) _

“Happy Earth Birthday.”

Kara looks across the room to see Alex looking at her from her bed where she is lying, turned over on her stomach with her left hand still resting on the alarm clock she’s just turned off. 

A week ago, Jeremiah and Eliza had asked Kara if it’s okay to celebrate Earth Birthday. They want to celebrate her joining their family but don’t want to overstep in case she associates joining one family with the loss of another.

Kara had told them it’s okay. When she thinks about leaving Krypton, she doesn’t associate the day with the month of February or the year 2004. These concepts of time meant nothing on Krypton. Besides, there were also the twenty-four Earth years she’d spent in the Phantom Zone. 

The Danvers have done so much for her. The least she can do is try to separate the two events.

“Thank you,” Kara says. It seems like the most appropriate response, her lack of enthusiasm notwithstanding. 

When they make their way downstairs for breakfast, Jeremiah and Eliza also issue happy Earth birthday wishes. Kara thanks them both and tries to let their enthusiasm infect her. She’s seen Alex, Jeremiah, and Eliza’s birthdays, so she knows to expect cake and presents. At the very least, Kara thinks to herself, there’s a lot of good food to look forward to.

The school day progresses without fanfare. Eliza and Jeremiah have to work that day, so the family will do something special during the weekend. In the meantime, Alex takes Kara to a secluded spot on the beach after school, and they while away a few hours bird-watching. They riffle through their field guide on birds, now well worn from a year of frequent use, and take turns using the binoculars that Kara technically doesn’t need. With her fascination, Kara has overtaken Alex at identifying the different species and their various morphs.

Time speeds by, and before they know it, Jeremiah is there to collect them for dinner. Kara is reluctant to leave the birds, but the mention of food is a good motivator. 

When they arrive home, Eliza is pulling freshly baked pizzas out of the oven. The table is heaving under Eliza’s numerous other home-cooked dishes as well as the potstickers that Jeremiah picked up on the way home. Dinner is a very filling affair, and as a result, the family takes a break before having cake. 

Apparently it’s customary on this planet to make a wish before blowing out candles. Kara thinks of Krypton, of her family, and of her people. Part of her acknowledges that Krypton is gone, but the remainder clings to hope that all isn’t lost. Maybe the explosion wasn’t that bad. Maybe part of Krypton survived. Maybe more of her people were able to escape on ships or other pods. Maybe Mom, Dad, or Aunt Astra are alive somewhere.

After all, how could a planet simply be wiped from the stars?

Kara closes her eyes and prays for a family reunion.

She’s grateful for the Danvers, but she misses her family, her friends, her people, her culture, her planet, and the idea of home that died with them. And even though he’s also on this planet, she misses Kal-El too. She misses who he would’ve been if he’d grown up knowing Krypton. She misses getting to be her whole self without fear of repercussion.

Kara is aware that this Earth tradition of making wishes and blowing out candles is born of superstition, not fact, but when the time comes, she doesn’t take any chances.

There’s only one candle on the cake, but she blows hard. 

Jeremiah yanks Alex away just in time as the cake simultaneously freezes and shatters apart.

Kara panics. 

She’s ruined everything. She knows it.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” Eliza says, placing a reassuring hand on Kara’s shoulder.

Kara isn’t really sure that it is okay. She feels terrible as she watches Jeremiah retrieve a broom and a dustpan. If only she could bring herself to move, she would be able to use her superspeed to clean up the kitchen in the blink of an eye. But she can’t. She’s too afraid she’ll just break more things.

The corners of Alex’s mouth slide up into a wry grin as she examines a piece of frozen cake shrapnel. “Well, who didn’t see that coming?”

“Alex,” Eliza chastises lightly before retrieving a cake alternative. “How about some chocolate pecan pie?”

 

* * *

 

 

_ Kara’s Second Earth Birthday (2006) _

A few days before Kara’s second Earth birthday, she nervously approaches Alex, who is sitting on the bench out on the deck and reading a book for English class.

Kara sits in one of the other deck chairs and asks, “Can I tell you something?”

“One second,” Alex murmurs. When she finishes the page, she puts the book down and says, “Sure. What’s up?”

Alex looks slightly wary, as if she’s anticipating that Kara will inform her that she’s accidentally broken something again and that Alex will be found at fault. Kara has to admit it’s not an unfair assumption. That has happened more than either of them would like.

Kara grabs the seat cushion and places it in her lap as she steels herself. “I don’t want a cake this year.”

She had thought that it would be easier to talk about this with Alex than Eliza—Kara doesn’t want to offend Eliza—but now that she’s started this conversation, it seems silly. One way or another, her words will get back to Eliza. Maybe it would’ve been better to convey her thoughts directly.

Alex’s brow furrows. “Oh. Why?”

Kara hugs the pillow to her chest. “Eliza put in all that effort last year, and I ruined it. I don’t want to do that again. It’s not fair.”

Alex looks at her for a moment, expression impassive. Then she says, “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

“You will?” Kara asks, accidentally sounding more surprised than she intends.

“Yeah,” Alex says before picking up her book to indicate that the conversation is over. 

Kara takes Alex’s word for it, but on the evening of her second Earth birthday, Eliza announces, “It’s time for cake.”

Kara cringes internally. Apparently, Alex didn’t talk to Eliza like she said she would.

But when Kara enters the kitchen, the baked dessert on the table isn’t a cake. 

“Cupcakes this time!” Eliza says with a smile. “It was Alex’s idea.”

Entering right behind Kara, Alex shrugs as if she’s too cool to have been caught being considerate. Still Kara detects the slight twitch of a smile that tells her Alex is actually pleased with herself for both the idea and the praise.

Eliza removes one cupcake from the pan and sets it in front of Kara. Jeremiah sticks two candles in it. 

It’s not the worst idea in the world. This way if another disaster happens when Kara blows out the candles, the rest of the cupcakes are preserved, and Eliza hasn’t spent time baking for nothing.

It still means she has to blow out candles though. Kara doesn’t want a repeat of last year, so she leans in and exhales slowly, gently, tentatively.

It’s a success in that the cupcake doesn’t go flying or shatter into ice shrapnel along the way.

But it still freezes.

There’s a prolonged crackle as the cupcake slowly crystallizes from the top down.

“Nice,” Alex says. “No shrapnel.”

“Want to try again, kiddo?” Jeremiah asks.

“No,” Kara responds quickly. “No, thank you.”

“Well, there’s always next year,” Eliza says with an encouraging smile.

 

* * *

 

 

_ Kara’s Third Earth Birthday (2007) _

Kara’s first Earth birthday without Jeremiah is also the last one with Alex at home before she goes off to college. 

“Happy Earth Birthday, Kara,” Alex says as she hands over a pink bakery box.

It’s early afternoon, and Eliza isn’t home yet. When she gets home that evening, they’ll have a special dinner and cupcakes as is now tradition, so Kara isn’t sure what this box means. She opens the box with diligent care as Alex bustles around the kitchen. Her brow furrows in confusion as she takes in its contents, or rather, its content. 

“Just one?”

Not only is it a singular cupcake, it’s a fancy cupcake—not that Eliza’s are in any way subpar—with icing shaped into three colorful small flowers and a circular flat piece of chocolate with a “K” written on it.

Before Kara can protest the desecration of such a pretty cupcake, Alex stabs three candles into the top. 

“Make a wish,” she says as she lights them.

Kara hesitates. She’s never successfully blown out candles without freezing anything, and Alex has gone out of her way to get this special cupcake for her. Kara doesn’t want it to have been for nothing.

“You can do it,” Alex says. “I believe in you.” 

“Alex,” Kara protests weakly.

“You can do it,” Alex repeats firmly. 

Kara looks at Alex, who has been an amazing big sister and her best friend after losing Kenny; Alex, who has taken on more responsibilities now that Jeremiah is gone; Alex, who carries the weight of the world on her shoulders to make sure Kara is safe. 

Alex nods at her, and Kara strengthens her resolve. 

She can do it. For Alex.

Kara blows out the smallest puff of air possible. The three flames disappear, the candles stay standing, and the cupcake remains unfrozen.

“See?” Alex says with a smile. “I knew you could it.”

Happiness swirls and expands inside of Kara as she looks at the cupcake with pride.

Kara pulls Alex into a hug and almost forgets to moderate her strength in her excitement. “I did it!” 

“You did it,” Alex echoes, kissing her on the temple. "Enjoy."

But then she’s pulling away, turning to leave the kitchen.

“Eat it with me?” Somehow the words are out of Kara’s mouth before her brain catches up.

Maybe she doesn’t want this moment to be over. Maybe she wants Alex to share in this accomplishment. Either way, she knows her request is sincere.

“Kara,” Alex says with amused skepticism. “That thing is tiny compared to your appetite. Besides I gotta work on my—” 

Kara uses her super speed to grab two forks and cut the cupcake in half before Alex can finish her sentence.

“—physics project.”

Alex blinks at the half cupcake that has suddenly appeared in front of her face.

“Please?” Kara asks with her best pout.

“Ugh, you’re a menace with that pout,” Alex says with an exaggerated sigh. “Fine.”

She takes a fork from Kara and sits at the kitchen table with her.

It is the best half cupcake Kara has ever had.


End file.
